


Unexpected Package

by bigwolfpup, TiBun



Series: The Strongest Hearts Saga [4]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Kisses Bingo 2020, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Clint Barton, Omega Verse, WinterHawk Bingo, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27356152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun
Summary: Clint arrives back home at the farm, eager to just relax and spend time with Bucky and their pets. However, he's not feeling the greatest, and he starts to expect that it's not just motion sickness left over from traveling.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Series: The Strongest Hearts Saga [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595776
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Kisses Bingo, Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: We do not own any recognizable characters, we're only exploring the possibilities.
> 
> Bingo Fills:  
> WHB - The Farmhouse  
> BBB- Intimacy without sex  
> KB- Belly kiss (chapter 2)

**2012**

Clint groaned as he sat in the back seat of one of his neighbors’ truck, sandwiched between the man’s two grandchildren. One was about seven, the other was almost two. He was regretting his decision to sit in the back with the kids so that the front passenger could be used for all the luggage. The truck’s bed was currently filled with lumber for a new deck on the old couple’s home, and the man had offered Clint a ride when he was already at the airport to pick up his grandkids and had seen Clint waiting for his bag at the luggage return.

It wasn’t the kids. They were both adorable, well behaved little creatures that tugged at his omega heartstrings, giving him a hint of baby fever—which was strange for him. He didn’t get it often, and if he did, it was because his heat was hitting him hard. There was just something about them that brought out his instincts to protect and nurture.

No, he simply just wasn’t feeling the greatest. Nearly the whole flight back from California had him feeling nauseous, and sitting in the back of the crowded extended cab wasn’t helping that feeling fade away any quicker. But between all the bags for the two adorable kids, and his own bag, it had been easier for them to toss it all in the front rather than back with the kids who could not sit up front for safety reasons.

“Hey—hey! Mistah Clint!” the seven year old girl asked, shaking the fabric of his sleeve, “You have a boo-boo?”

Clint smiled, “No new boo-boos for me this time, promise.”

“Sleepy then?”

“Yeah, a bit.” he admitted.

“You can take a nap with Tommy! He has lots of nap times!”

“Sounds wonderful, but I’m not going with you and your brother to your grandpa’s house. He’s dropping me off at mine. But I’ll take a nap there.”

“Oh.” she shrugged, “You can come over to play later?”

“Maybe.”

More than just a few minutes later, they pulled up the drive to Clint’s farm house and Clint began a game of human jenga to escape out of the truck and move to grab his bag off the top of the pile of bags. “Thanks for the lift.”

“Any time.” the old farmer nodded before turning around to continue on his way home.

Clint took a deep breath, hoping the fresh air would settle his stomach before he moved towards the house.

Before he got very far out of the driveway, the front door opened and a very excited Lucky came bounding out, barking and whining as he approached Clint. The dog was followed much slower by Alpine, and then James, who looked a little more tired than usual, but a smile was on his face.

“Sorry, I couldn’t stop Lucky from running out to greet you,” he apologized once he was closer to the omega.

“That’s alright, Lucky’s my baby, aren’t you, boy?” Clint cooed, petting Lucky and letting him lick him all over before he straightened back up and moved to James, “You look tired, just wake up from a nap?” he asked, kissing James’s cheek.

“Yeah, haven’t been sleeping too well recently, but I’m used to that.” James pulled Clint in for a proper kiss, wrapping his arms around the omega to keep Clint warm. It was still a bit chilly for it being the end of February, after all. “How was your flight?”

“Horrible, honestly. First class, but I’ve had a better flight in a hay-filled cargo hold of a rickety old bird. Just couldn’t start feeling like I wasn’t about to get motion sickness or whatever. Actually kept one of those vomit baggies close for once…” Clint sighed, shoving his face into James’s neck, “Good to be home though. Did you get the picture I sent you?”

“I did. It’ll make a fine addition to my collection.” James smirked, hoping Clint caught the reference he just made.

Clint burst out a laugh, “You’re such a nerd. I love you.”

“Love you too. Let’s get inside before we catch a cold.” Guiding Clint inside, James grabbed the blond’s luggage and whistled for Lucky to come inside, the dog having wandered off a little after the initial excitement of seeing Clint again wearing off.

Inside was warm, a fire going in the fireplace and the TV playing quietly near the couch, presumably where James had been taking his nap. The house smelled like waffles surprisingly, remnants of what the alpha had made himself for breakfast while waiting for Clint to come home. It was a welcoming scent, one that was, in James’s mind, similar to Clint’s scent, so the alpha loved to fill the whole house with the smell while the blond was away for missions or meetings required by SHIELD.

“I have some leftovers from breakfast if you’d like them,” James said while setting Clint’s luggage down.

Clint considered it, nibbling on his lip as he did so. He was still feeling sick and syrup did _not_ sound good, but...he was hungry and…

“Do we have some of that apple butter you make sometimes? Not feeling up to syrup, but maybe that would go good on waffles.”

"We do, I didn't eat all of it while you were gone. Want me to heat up some of the waffles for you while you put away your stuff?"

“Only if you’ll also sit with me while I eat.” Clint grinned, “I missed you, plus I need to tell you something important because fuck Fury.”

"Of course I'll sit with you, you're not the only one who missed someone." James chuckled while heading to the kitchen. "Is this what you've been wanting to tell me but couldn't because it was super secret or something like that?"

“Yeah, it totally is. I really wish I could have told you back when it actually happened, but you know how the Fury factor fucked that up. But they are getting ready to make it public and you deserve to know this before every Tom, Dick, and Stanley of the world. I just hope you won’t be mad at me for not telling you sooner.”

"There's not a thing that you do that makes me angry. It's what other people do that makes me upset. You're a perfect person, of course, and my mate, so everything you do either makes me really happy or really horny."

“I’m not perfect, you are. I’m apparently just cheesy as hell in love with you.” Clint kissed him before readjusting his grip on his bag, “You go heat up food, I’ll be down once I unpack and wash my face.”

"You got it, babe." Lucky and Alpine followed James into the kitchen, hoping to gobble up scraps of food while the alpha prepared waffles for Clint.

Clint dumped his clothes from his bag all into the laundry hamper. One or two items may still be clean, but he honestly didn’t care enough to separate them. Then he unpacked the rest of the items, putting them all in their places, including the bag. Then he went to the bathroom, washed his face and freshened up a little from his trip. He’d save the full shower for after waffles. Maybe James would join him. That’d be nice. Just the two of them enjoying the hot water and washing each other’s backs. As long as all the farm chores for the day were done, he was sure James would have no objections to the idea.

Patting his face dry, he straightened up, looked himself over in the mirror, and then headed down to the kitchen again.

"How much apple butter do you want on your waffles?" James asked once Clint was in the kitchen.

“Yes please.” Clint said. Normally he only liked a thin layer on bread or toast, but he was just really craving it right now, and a small amount would not satisfy him.

"Got it, lots of butter." When Clint's waffles were loaded up, James handed the plate to the blond with a fork. "That look like enough for you?"

“Mmmm, devine.” Clint gushed, sitting down with the plate and digging in, though with a small bite at first, just to make sure his stomach wouldn’t reject it. Once he felt safe from that, he moved to his normal sized bites.

“So,” he said, mouth still half full, “You might wanna sit down for this one.”

"Well, you did want me to sit with you," James said, taking the seat at the table next to Clint. "Tell me this big secret you've been keeping from me for way too long."

“I wanted you to be close, the sitting is more so you won’t potentially break the counter we spent all of last month putting in to finish making this kitchen look so pretty.” Clint said, giving a smile.

He sighed and nodded, taking a moment to gather his words, He wanted to break the news to James gently and with a fine finesse. However, even with that in mind, his lips blurted it out as anything but that. Maybe it was because he’d been holding it in so long, but still, he flinched as the words left him so bluntly. “They found Steve.”

James blinked. "Steve… they finally found his body? Must have taken a while to dig through that much ice."

Clint shrugged, “Don’t know the details of all that, but it wasn’t just a body they found… James, he was frozen in the ice. Completely solid...his serum, it… he’s alive, Love. So is Tony. Tony’s parents froze him, kinda like the Hydra bastards did to you, only it was consensual to wait out finding Steve so they could pick up where they left off… My first mission with them was me just hanging around with Tony, helping him adjust to modern omega life. That’s why they needed me for the mission, because I’d be able to bond with him omega to omega.”

The alpha was silent, trying to process all that Clint had just told him. It sounded impossible, truly, but Clint was clearly telling the truth. James knew how Clint acted when he was telling a lie, and Clint was most definitely not telling a lie this time, which made it even harder to process the information presented before him.

"Steve and Tony… they're alive still? They didn't die, they're alive and together?"

“Yeah...they don’t know about you yet...Fury wasn’t letting me tell them about you. They know I have an alpha with a cool robot arm and who is a little old fashioned at times, but they don’t know it’s _you_.”

Clint shoveled a large bite into his mouth and took the time to chew it down enough to swallow safely, “Tony’s taking to modern tech like a fish to water. Steve’s confused as hell by it, but he seems to be adjusting in other ways okay...”

James sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh. His friends were alive and no one had told him until now. How long had they been alive? How long did they have to suffer with the thought of him being dead? _How were they even alive?_

"They don't even know I survived the fall… Steve has probably had all this guilt for so long about the fall, and I… they don't know I'm alive and okay now."

“I know—I wanted to tell them but… I did manage to get some hints in. I know you said they used to call you ‘Bucky’, but I figured they would also know your name is James which is what I call you and Fury—well, he still glares when I bring you up around them, but I think he’s been letting it slide because James is a common enough name.” He sighed, cutting another bite of waffle, but waiting before bringing it to his mouth, “Are you going to be okay?”

James sighed. “I don’t know, I feel…. somehow worse than finding out that I thought they had died alone and without each other. But they’re alive and together and they don’t even know I’m alive, even though we’re all associated with SHIELD in some way.”

He rubbed his eyes rather hard, then brushed his hair back. “How long have they been around? Since that first time you went to California after we met?”

“Um,” Clint thought back, “Remember when Fury wanted me in Malibu Barbie’s house when I was in heat? I think that’s when they wanted me to meet Barbie. Tony’s Barbie by the way. His house is huge and fancy. All the cute vintage pin up outfits I’ve taken pictures in for you? Those are Tony’s old clothes. He’s smaller than me so I have to be careful not to rip any seams but he helps me pose right and everything. Makeup too. Anyway, yeah, I think they woke up a little before that time.”

“Three years, and I didn’t know until now. Now I know why you wanted to tell me sooner.”

Clint nodded with a flinch, “Sorry. I know you promised me that you wouldn’t be angry with me but I still feel like an asshole for sitting on this for so long…”

“Oh, no you don’t have to be sorry,” James reassured. “I mainly blame SHIELD for you holding this in for so long. I’m really glad you told me.”

Clint nodded and bit his lip, “What do you want to do? Do you want to go see them? Give them a call? I have Tony’s number…”

“I want to see them more than anything… this is odd, but do you have any pictures of them? Or even Tony?”

Clint nodded and pulled out his phone, unlocking it and scrolling through pictures of James, Lucky, Alpine, some of Nat, and finally he got to a few of Tony and Clint taking selfies together, and one of Tony and Steve being adorable in the background as Clint took a selfie that was clearly more focused on what was happening behind him rather than himself.

“There’s more than this but they’re buried under lots more dog pictures.”

James took the phone and looked at the pictures with a sad and pained expression. “They look happy...Did they finally get to bond yet?”

Clint shook his head, “I think after everything that happened to them, they’ve just been taking things slow to rebuild their relationship. Tony did live on for a few years after losing Steve before finally he decided he wanted to be frozen. So I think that had placed a few cracks in their foundation or whatever. They weren’t bonded, but Tony did have mate sickness, after all.”

“Mate sickness is a serious thing,” the alpha nodded. “I just hope they can work things out soon. They were pretty infatuated with each other before I left them.”

They still are. If I were one to believe in destined mates, I’d say they totally are. They just need time after everything that’s happened to them. I’ve no doubt they’ll officially bond the moment they are ready.”

“They will.” James sighed and looked at Clint, handing his phone back. “Thanks… as much as I want to see them again, I’m a lot different than I used to be. I don’t think I'm ready to face them yet after what I’ve done.”

“We’ll go at your pace. I won’t tell them about you unless you’re okay with it.” Clint promised, “You’re the most important person in my life, you know. I’ll listen to your wishes on this above Fury.”

“If you could, please wait on telling them. I’m not even sure I’ll be ready when Fury says I’m ready to see them again.”

“I can’t promise Fury won't spill the beans, but I won’t be the one to do that.” Clint took James’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “And I’ll be right here next to you when you feel ready to see your best friend and his omega again.”

“Thanks, babe.” James smiled and squeezed back. “So I guess you’ve really gotten to know my old friends by now. You like them?”

“I’ve gotten to know Tony for sure. Right after Nat I think he’s my best friend at this point! But Steve...he doesn’t hang out with me much. I think he’s supporting Tony in his freedom to do whatever without an alpha around or whatever. He hangs out sometimes, but I don’t know him nearly as well as I know Tony.”

“I’m glad you like Tony. He didn’t really have any omega friends before he met you.”

“Hell, I didn’t either before him! Nat’s an alpha, of course, and I have Phil who’s a beta...is it sad that most of the people I know are technically work friends? And SHIELD is full of alphas and betas...Huh. Only just noticed…”

"Well now you have a friend who isn't technically a work friend and who's also an omega, so win-win."

“Win-win.” Clint agreed, “Just like when we met.”

"After a few chores before a snowstorm, yeah." James smiled and leaned closer to Clint. "Very much win-win."

“Best snowstorm.”

"So, you want more waffles? Because I know you and I made a good amount for when you came home."

“You _do_ know me so well. I’d love more.”

* * *

Clint paced the length of the master bedroom nervously. Pointedly _not_ looking at the plastic stick sitting on the counter.

Enough time had passed, he knew that. He’d peed on the damn thing and then shoved himself in the shower for a very long soak in the hot water in an attempt to ignore the fact that he had just taken a pregnancy test.

He had hoped he’d stop feeling so _bleh_ all the time after he was home for a few days and had rested properly. He had hoped that the nausea would have gone away after a good night’s rest. But no. It continued on, making him feel like shit. There were times he felt fine, but mostly he just...did not.

Frustrated when he’d finally actually lost his lunch, he sat by the toilet, going over what it could be. It wasn’t exactly cold and flu season anymore, SHIELD kept him vaccinated up the wazoo to protect him from anything he might come in contact with while on a mission… He didn’t think it was stress. Sure, he was due for a vacation to destress, but he’s gone longer without it starting to get to him, especially after he and James got together. James knew all the tricks into getting Clint to relax after missions, and only sometimes it included sex.

But then his mind drifted towards the other changes he’s pointedly ignored. His eating habits. He’s been avoiding some of his favorites, and he didn’t know why. He’s been _craving_ food he either likes in small amounts or usually avoids whenever possible. And...he’s been snacking more often…

 _That_ was when the idea had struck him. He wanted to deny the possibility completely but, well, he was a sexually active omega mated to an incredibly sexy alpha who happened to be an enhanced human, so his swimmers could also be enhanced. Add that to the fact that during his heat in February they had a condom break. James had been quick to grab one of the morning after pills for him, but those did nothing if a pregnancy had already taken. So it _was_ possible. Normally they didn't bother with condoms as Clint was on birth control, but a mission gone wrong had messed that up, leaving him without it for a few weeks, so they hadn't trusted that it had built back up properly in his system by the time his heat hit.

Clint kept a few pregnancy tests around for emergencies, so he didn’t have to run to the store for one. Instead, he’d stood up, grabbed one out of the cabinet and read the instructions.

Now all that was left was to look.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer, looking down at the little stick and seeing a positive sign clearly marked.

He closed his eyes. It could be a false positive. He grabbed a second test and repeated the process, waiting outside the shower this time. He kept glancing at it, waiting for it to be done, and finally…

Positive.

Both tests were positive that he was positive.

He was pregnant.

Swallowing, Clint pressed a hand to his belly, pressing it and feeling around for any physical sign that he had James’ baby growing in him.

There was nothing to find, of course. It was far too early to detect the baby’s growth inside him in such a basic way.

But the tests reassured him that the baby was there, and Clint...didn’t know how to respond. Scared? Happy? Worried? Nervous?

What would James think? They hadn’t actually gotten around to talking about if they for sure wanted to start a family, let alone start one _now_.

He let out a shaky breath as he started cleaning the bathroom up and throwing clothes on.

He had to tell James...but how?

He could ask Nat or Tony, he thought, reaching for his phone which was still sitting on the bed where he’d dropped it on his rush to the bathroom—no. James deserved to be the first person to know. He was on his own to figure this one out.

Leaving his phone behind, he headed for the kitchen in hopes of finding a snack that would stay down.

He didn't have to search for a snack for very long, because James was busy in the kitchen whipping up a batch of puppy chow when Clint came in. The alpha heard Clint come in, and he turned and smiled, some powdered sugar somehow making a home in his hair.

"Hey, babe. Making some puppy chow, you want any? Maybe watch a movie while we snack on it?"

Clint felt some of his anxieties melt away when he saw his boyfriend’s soft baking look, “You got a little something something in your hair.”

"Probably, somehow I'm a messy baker." The alpha grabbed a piece of the puppy chow and offered it to Clint.

“It’s adorable and makes you look like the softest alpha in existence.” Clint grinned, “How’d you know I was thinking about snacks?”

"I've lived with you for years now, I know when you're in a snacking mood."

“Mm,” Clint popped up on his toes as he stretched up to nibble playfully on James’s earlobe, “You are a snack. I’m always in the mood.”

James chuckled and wiped some powdered sugar onto Clint's nose. "You're a snack too, you know."

“Please, with how you go at me, I’m a full three course meal! Clint teased, kissing James before pulling back to look at the bowl of what was almost puppy chow. “Needs more stirring. I can go set up the TV for a movie while you do that?” Clint suggested.

"Sure, pick a good one," the alpha said while returning to making the puppy chow. "Bonus if it's cheesy romance."

"I'll do my best." Clint purred, moving to the living room. He paused, looking around before he gently set one of the tests down on the coffee table for James to find before he grabbed their living room blankets to make a small nest on the couch. Then he sat down and flipped on the TV, starting to look for a romance movie to watch.

"Do you want a lot of this or just enough to satisfy your snacking?" James asked once he started bagging up the puppy chow.

“Probably like double the usual helping this time.” Clint called back as he curled up in the nest, butterflies fluttering in his gut.

"Wanting to completely spoil your dinner, I see." James laughed and made sure one bag had double the normal amount. "Can't blame you, I make pretty awesome puppy chow."

“Oh, I doubt I’ll spoil dinner.” Clint replied truthfully as his eyes darted to the pregnancy test sitting out in the open right where he knew James would set down drinks for the two of them. Then he flickered his attention back to the TV, flipping through the romance genre section until he settled on one they had watched before. They had both enjoyed it the first time, and it was such a feel good movie. Plus the omega lead in it was pregnant for half the movie, so it fit. He queued it up and tucked the remote off to the side.

“Knowing you, yeah I doubt you will.” James came into the room with two bags of the puppy chow after having put the rest away, plus a couple glasses of water to wash down the snack with. First he tossed the bags onto the couch, then he set the glasses down, and once he set them on the table, that was when he noticed the test. He paused before picking it up, looking at the marks that indicated it was a positive test.

“Clint… is this yours? Is this a positive test?”

Clint licked his lips and gave a small nod, “I took two, just to be sure...they were both the same.”

“Is this why you were up in the bathroom for so long? I heard the shower running but I just assumed you were taking your time.”

“I got a shower while waiting for the first test results, but...yeah, that’s why I was in there for so long… I—I guess I had morning sickness and after I felt better I thought maybe I should check, and… well...looks like you’re going to be a daddy?”

Setting the test down, James moved to Clint and picked him up off the couch to hug him tight. “I guess that morning after pill didn’t do much for us this time.”

“Nope. Clint melted into his arms and gave a small smile, “But maybe this is a good thing?”

“I know we really haven’t talked much about having our own kids, but I’ve always been fond of the idea.” James pulled his head back and smiled at Clint. “I’m all for this if you are.”

Clint’s smile brightened and he nodded, “Didn’t know I wanted this until I found out we were and I wasn’t thinking at all about ending it as an option.” His hands dropped over his stomach, pressing against his abs, “It’s hard to believe there’s a little one— _our_ little one growing inside when I’m still so flat…”

“Give it a few months, you’ll start to show a little, and it’ll be the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Are you gonna be one of those alphas that can’t resist snuggling their omega’s belly?” Clint asked.

"Oh probably. Get ready for me to be a clingy alpha because I won't want you to leave my side until that baby is born."

Clint giggled, “Well, I will still have work. I’ll just have to inform them that I probably shouldn’t be sent on the fun missions as much in the coming months.”

"Then maybe SHIELD will have to start sending me on missions with you so I can keep an eye on you."

“Are you ready for that?” Clint asked, brushing James’s hair back out of his face.

"I have to get back into the swing of things eventually. I think being assigned as your mission partner wouldn't be too bad."

“Yeah? Just you and me taking out the bad guys? One of us undercover at a fancy party, the other high up in a sniper’s nest? Amazing sex in the hotel room afterwards? Romantic.”

"Well, I think I'd be a little more gentle with the sex now, but other than that, all of that sounds absolutely romantic."

“Aw, but I like the hot passionate rough sex sometimes.”

"Well, I suppose I can get rough once or twice more before I'll be worried about the baby." James chuckled and kissed Clint.

“I sure hope so, seeing as after the baby’s here I doubt we’ll have much time for it, even after I heal up. Gotta get our fun in while we can.”

"I'm sure we'll be able to have fun after the kid is here. You're pretty irresistible, after all."

“They say that it’s exhausting having a newborn around. So we’ll see if either of us even want to try spending the energy on sex at that point.” Clint teased.

"I think we'll be fine. Even if we do end up having less sex, you'll still be the most attractive to me."

“There’s always cuddling, with or without our cute little one tucked in our arms.”

"I don't know about you, but I'd be down for some cuddling now while we watch the movie you picked out." James smiled and moved around Clint to sit down. "Wanna cuddle with me?"

Clint grinned, “I even made a nest in hopes of cuddling.” Clint said, waiting for James to get comfortable before he climbed in and curled into his alpha with a happy purr.

James crooned and wrapped his arms around Clint, nuzzling into the omegas neck. "I wanna cuddle even more now. I think we're gonna have to add more cuddle time throughout the day."

“Yeah...oh! And start designing and turning one of the guest rooms into a nursery! We can make it pastel purple!”

"I love it. Maybe we can put little stars around the room as well."

“Great idea, Love.” Clint purred, nuzzling into James’s jaw, “I wonder if we can find a baby rattle shaped like an arrow…”

"I'm sure there's something out there like that. These days it seems like there's a thousand brands for common items."

“Yeah, that’s true. But I’ve just never looked into baby stuff before.” Clint smiled, touching his flat belly.

James rested his hands over Clint's, smiling. "New experience for both of us, then."

“Yeah, we’ll look at all the cute baby things together. This is our life now. Looking at cute baby things and cooing over how cute our baby will be.”

"I'm totally okay with that. Let's just hope Lucky and Alpine don't get jealous."

“I can’t speak for your cat, but Lucky’s going to be a great big fur brother!” Clint grinned.

"Alpine is pretty okay with everything. I think she'll be fine." James nuzzled Clint's neck with a sigh, then looked up and blinked. "You're heat fell over Valentine's Day, didn't it…"

“Yeah, Valentine’s day was somewhere in there. My sense of time during heat is fuzzy at best, so I can’t remember which day it was or which day the condom broke…”

"I think it was the 14th. Wow, talk about cliché." The alpha laughed.

“Valentines baby…” Clint chuckled, “We are not naming our baby that, by the way. We’ll give them a good name.”

"Oh yeah, no way we're going to be those parents. No kid deserves to be named after where or when they were conceived."

“Or a food item.” Clint nodded.

"Our kid _cannot_ be named Pizza."

“No, but they’ll love family pizza night.”

"They wouldn't be your kid if they didn't."

Clint smiled, pulling himself in even closer to press a kiss to James’s lips, “I wonder if they’ll have your blue eyes or mine…Either way, they’ll have really good aim.”

"Maybe they won't have blue eyes for some reason. I think they'll have your blond hair though."

“Mm, I don’t know, we’re both blue-eyed which I’m pretty sure means our kid will be as well. I also think they’ll be more likely to have your darker hair? I don’t know, I never finished formal schooling but I remember hearing somewhere that dark hair genes dominate light hair genes or something.”

"Eh, genetics are weird sometimes, I don't really care how our baby will end up looking. I just know they'll be cute because you're cute." James smiled.

“Says the cute alpha.” Clint shot back. “Man, we’re sappy today.”

The alpha chuckled. "We just found out we're having a baby, I'm going to be as sappy as I want because I'm so damn happy."

“Well, let's see if we’re sappier than the movie’s couple.” Clint giggled, grabbing the remote to start the movie, “Where’s the puppy chow?”

James felt around his legs and pulled out the bags. Thankfully they weren't too crushed. "Here, managed to keep all the powdered sugar contained in the bags."

“Yay!” Clint took his bag and opened it, munching on it as they watched the movie for a bit.

“I’ll need to get a medical check-up at SHIELD now that I know I’m pregnant...do you want to come with me for this one?”

"Sure, I'm sure they won't mind me coming in for a visit. They probably want to do a mental health check on me anyways."

Clint snickered, “Yeah, sure, they ask you about your feelings and you’ll just go on gushing for an hour about how you’re going to be a daddy. Maybe that’ll make them let up on you a bit.”

"It'd better. My mental health is the best it's been in a long time, they have to stop keeping an eye on me like Hydra is just gonna randomly come back. Even I've learned that's not gonna happen at this point."

“We have a plan set up for if they do, anyway. You aren’t a sitting duck out here, after all.”

"Lucky's a good guard dog too. He'll know before me if Hydra comes."

“That he will. He sounds a good loud alarm.”

"The best boy. He'll keep our baby safe from harm."

“That he will.” Clint chuckled, glancing over to the dog bed where both Lucky and Alpine were currently napping.

"Alpine will keep them warm. She's a cuddle bug, she'll love the kid, I'm sure."

“Two great fur siblings.” Clint agreed.

* * *

Clint shoved his hands in his pockets after he and James walked past SHIELD security at last. It had taken them entirely too long to clear James. For an organization that had never wanted James to live out free, they sure made it annoying to get him back in for whatever reason, including when James had an actual appointment. Clint had whined at them, stating that James was with him so it should be fine! But no, they still had to hold them up for far too long, never quite believing that the metal detector was only going off because of his _metal arm_. James didn’t have any weapons on him because he had known that that would have only made it worse.

“Honesty, Fury should go ahead and give you a proper access card already.” he complained as he led the way to the elevators.

"It's been years since he stuck me with you, and I haven't acted up at all since then. They should trust me at this point," James grumbled.

“Yes they should!” Clint pressed the button and turned to look at James, “These guys hold a long grudge. They suck.”

"We know by now that only my trigger words can turn me into that monster I used to be. Unless someone here knows those words, I'm not going to go, as they put it, psycho on them."

“Yeah, I don’t think anyone would. Those sucky words are best forgotten.”

"Preaching to the choir." James sighed and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "If I can, I'm gonna give Fury an earful today. About both my lack of security clearance and the fact that the news of my best friends being alive was kept from me for this long, which, again, is not your fault."

“Sounds fun, we’ll go bug him once we know the baby’s good or whatever he first checkup is all about.” Clint said as they stepped into the elevator.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see us, especially me, since I'm not on an isolated farm where nothing but stupidity could kill me."

“And chickens.” Clint laughed.

"Yes, those chickens are terrifying sometimes, aren't they?"

“Very much so.” Clint smiled. “I don’t wanna watch them get a mouse in their sights any time soon. Morning sickness sucks.”

"I know." James moved a hand to run his fingers up and down Clint's back. "Good thing your alpha is around to take care of you when it hits."

“Yeah, like this morning when the smell of _toast_ triggered it.” They arrived on the medical floor and Clint led the way to the lobby to check in.

"Yeah, I'll stay away from making toast for a while. At least until the morning sickness gets less intense."

Clint nodded and walked up to the reception desk, pulling out his SHIELD ID. “I should have an appointment.”

“Of course.” the receptionist scanned his card and did something on the computer before nodding, “You’ll be in room three down that hall.”

“Thanks. I’m bringing my alpha with me if that’s okay?”

They eyed James with a frown, “Normally we don’t…”

“Come on, he’s my mate and I want him with me.”

A sigh sounded before they were waved on in silent permission.

“Great!” Clint took James’ hand and pulled him along to the room to wait for the doctor. SHIELD Medical was small and private, so it was run differently than a normal hospital.

"That probably won't happen again until I get clearance," James muttered as soon as he took a seat in the extra chair in the room for guests, though he had a smile on his face.

“Eh, omegas aren’t in here often so they probably haven't thought of why an omega might want his mate in an appointment with him.” Clint shrugged.

"Are they really that oblivious? Back in the day when an alpha attended an omega's doctor appointment, it was either because they were forced to go or they willingly went, and I clearly do not look like I was forced here. So that has to mean something to onlookers. That or people today just don't give a damn anymore."

“Wasn't back in the day it required that the omega’s ‘keeper’ or whatever the term was needed to be there or something creepy like that?”

"A caretaker, and yeah, most of the time they were required to go. But most caretakers were the omega's parent or arranged spouse, and they weren't very interested in going to things that didn't apply to them. Usually you could tell who they were just by looking at their body language."

“Well, you are my spouse, even if it wasn’t arranged. We just looked at each other and was like ‘Yup, that’s gonna be mine now.’ One bite-time later it was official!” Said Clint as he sat on the paper-covered bench.

"The whole process of becoming someone's caretaker was tedious for some reason. Or at least for omegas it was. They never got a say in who was their caretaker, but the alphas always got to choose whoever they wanted to be caretaker for. Always hated seeing omegas who clearly had a caretaker that didn't really care about them."

James smiled. "But yeah, now we don't need to worry about that. I'm glad, just a bite and we're spouses, no unnecessary paperwork."

"Unless we choose to also do the marriage thing for fun and name changes thing."

"I wouldn't be opposed. That was what you did back in the day, marked your partner then married them. That also transferred the caretaker names, so the spouse then became the caretaker."

"It would be nice to have the same last name for the baby…" Clint grinned at James, "Wanna marry me, handsome?"

"I think I'd like that very much, Mr. Barton."

"Sorry I don't have a ring ready for you."

"Don't need a ring to propose, as long as it's genuine, and I think this is pretty genuine if you had to ask me."

"I totally mean it. I love you and don't care which of our last names we choose. I just want to share it with you and our baby."

"I do too. So again, yes, I'll marry you," James said with a smile, then he moved close to kiss Clint.

“Mmm, I love you.” Clint said, kissing back and wrapping hi arms around James as there was a knock on the door and it opened, the beta doctor walking in. Clint sighed, easing out of the kiss, “Darn, interrupted. Raincheck on the kissing?”

"For you, always," James replied while sitting back down. "Sorry, doctor, we're rather mushy today it seems."

“Quite alright. If you could take a seat, we can begin and you can be on your mushy way.” The doctor opened Clint’s file and looked it over, “You aren’t due for a checkup on your health, Clint, is there a reason you requested a checkup?”

“Yeah, um, I took two home pregnancy tests and both were positive, so there’s that.”

"Surprise," James said jokingly.

The doctor's eyes widened slightly. "Ah… well I suppose that would be a good reason to come in. Let's get set up for some tests, then, first to confirm the pregnancy, then to do a general checkup."

The doctor got up and briefly left to gather the items they needed to conduct the tests, including the test to confirm Clint's pregnancy. They came back with a nurse and the supplies, getting to work quickly to start drawing blood.

"So you're pretty sure you're pregnant?" The doctor asked while the nurse drew blood. "Lined up properly with your last heat?"

“February, around the 14th we had a defective condom during heat so it’s completely possible, and two tests were positive, so we’re already planning a nursery.” Clint confirmed, allowing them to do as they needed.

"Sounds right, just getting into your second month. Well, we'll check your blood to make sure you're healthy still, which I'm sure you are. We'll have to let Fury know about this, of course."

“Yeah, yeah, no fun missions for a while, I know.” Clint shrugged, “Gotta protect my baby and do paperwork or whatever.”

"And make sure Fury doesn't live up to his name when he finds out."

The nurse finished drawing blood from Clint, and they put a bandaid over the spot the needle had been. "We'll get started on those tests," they said while leaving the room with the blood collected.

"Perfect, now we're just going to do a basic physical exam, then we can move on to the next exams." The doctor stood up and began doing the basic check up, doing things like taking blood pressure and checking the omega's breathing, while also checking for swelling if any kind.

"Have you had any symptoms yet?" They asked while checking Clint's neck.

“Morning sickness stuff for sure, and some minor food cravings and aversions. At least, those are what I noticed enough to prompt me in taking a test.” Clint answered truthfully. “Pretty basic, I think.”

"Good. I'll get you some vitamins to take and a list of some foods that will be good to eat during pregnancy." The doctor stepped back. "Okay, everything looks and feels normal, those blood tests should be done soon so we'll get the results to you later today or tomorrow. I'm gonna call Fury up here so he knows the situation and hears from me that you shouldn't be going on many missions right now."

“James and I were actually planning to go talk to him after this, so we can deliver a message if you’re okay with that? It’d save his mood from being interrupted twice in a row by unexpected topics relating to James and I.”

“Oh, sure, I’ll write a note for him, just so he has it in writing that I don’t want you going on long or hard missions.”

“Great, we’ll make sure he gets that first before we start on the other things.” Clint promised.

The doctor nodded and grabbed their notepad. “You can come back later for those vitamins I talked about. Just drop by again on your way out.”

“Thanks, I’m sure James will remind me to do that.” Clint promised once the doctor handed him the note to give to Fury. Dismissed, Clint took James’ hand and pulled him out of the examination room, “Okay, ready for bugging Fury about this, your lack of clearance, and all that?”

“More than ready,” James replied. “It’s high time people trust me here. Again, it’s been years since I was last controlled.”

“Clint hummed in agreement and scanned his access card to call the elevator that would take him to the floor Fury’s office was on. “How annoying should we be? Actually wait until his secretary tells us we can go in, or just barge in?”

“I’d say barge right in, but maybe that’s you rubbing off on me.” The alpha smirked.

“Well we have rubbed up against each other a lot so it’s very possible.” Clint winked.

"Quite a lot." James hummed as he stepped closer and pressed his nose into Clint's neck. "Do these elevators have cameras?"

“Upper back corner facing the control panel and emergency escape. We’ll be in it’s blind spot if we go right under it.” Clint shrugged. “Why?”

James pushed Clint back into the corner where the camera was, and once they were in the blind spot the alpha shoved a knee between Clint's legs and latched onto the mark on the omega's neck with his teeth.

“O-oh… Clint gasped out, his voice going airy and light as he became instantly floaty and pliant under James’ hands, “Apparently it doesn’t take much to completely turn me on, alpha.” He lifted a leg to allow James further into his space, hooking it over his hip.

"Good," James mumbled against Clint's neck. He nuzzled before he started leaving kisses up and down the omega's neck. "Might just wanna love on you some more later on."

“Don’t wanna wait.” Clint pouted, “You got me going _now…_ ”

"I could try to be quick, don't know how long it'll take us to get to Fury." James wrapped his arms around Clint and pressed their bodies together more.

“Going to mess me up, alpha? Make it obvious I’m taken?” he asked, shifting to rub up against him.

"Maybe. I can make you unwind fairly quick." One of James's hands was shoved up underneath Clint's shirt, finger tips gliding teasingly over skin. "Probably quick enough to completely overwhelm you."

“I have no doubts in your skills.” Clint nipped at James’ ear and gave a small moan, “But I also know you’re sometimes a huge tease…”

"You're right, I am." James chuckled and stepped back, letting Clint's leg down gently. "So I'm making you wait."

Clint gave a loud whine of protest as the doors opened up to admit them to their designated floor. “Mean.”

"We would have never had enough time to do what I want to do to you, so be patient, omega." James smiled and kissed Clint's cheek before moving out of the elevator.

Clint sighed, “Still going to pout.”

"The moment we're out of here we can go back to our room and do whatever the hell we want. I'll get rough for you."

“I love you.” Clint grinned. “I love you a lot.” He walked right past the protesting secretary and burst into Fury’s office, “Hey Fury, got a moment or two?”

The man scowled, looking up from his computer, “Barton, how many times do I need to tell you not to—”

“Psh, you’re not in a meeting, you’re fine! Got a report for you from the doctor.” Clint said, tossing the paper onto Fury’s desk.

"And I wanna talk about getting some clearance around here," James added.

Fury sighed as he grabbed the paper. "One thing at a damn time…"

They're was silence as Fury read, and then the man looked up at Clint and James. "Seriously? You're pregnant now? Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming, but I didn't expect it so soon."

"It's really not that soon," James argued. "Clint and I have been mates for a few years now."

“It wasn’t planned, either. But we’re excited to start a family. Even if that means my missions will get limited.”

Fury sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Your timing isn’t great. You know I want you on the Avenger initiative.”

“Yeah, well, some things just happen on their own time.” Clint shrugged.

“That Avenger initiative sounds important,” James said. “Could it be something I can get in on?”

“Barnes, you know I think you need more recovery time” Fury replied. “The last thing you need now is a part of a team that could possibly trigger you.”

“Seriously, nothing triggers me but _those_ words, we’ve learned this by now.”

“Yes, but you also have a pregnant omega to take care of now, and I don’t think you really want to spend weeks away from him at this point.”

“James feels ready and I support him.” Clint stated, “It’d be nice to work with him sometimes, and I really don’t mind him going off on a few test missions if you want to let him try getting out there to save the world. Just make sure he’s home with me towards the end of my pregnancy. I’ll definitely want him there with me.” Clint spoke up.

“I’m ready, Fury,” James said eagerly. “I can work on missions now, I won’t get triggered by anything but the words Hydra programmed into my brain. I promise, I’ll be one of your best agents.”

“I know you might think you’re ready, but really, you need to stay home now. I will need Clint back here eventually for the initiative, but I’m willing to give him a month or two more at home before I need him here.”

James sighed and slumped in his seat. “I’m not a monster anymore… But everyone here seems to think I still am.”

“Barnes, you know that’s not true.” Fury sat back in his own chair. “But… I suppose it’s been long enough of a wait for you to at least get clearance. I was actually going to have you come in next week to get this.” The man pulled out a laminated card and pushed it across the top of his desk. “Your clearance card.”

James looked down at the card, blinking. “Oh. Well, I guess I don’t have to fight to get clearance now.”

“That is one of the reason’s we are here but come on, Fury, do you realize how many years James has been a stay at home husband itching to come to work?” Clint asked.

“You two are not married.”

“We’re engaged, mated and pregnant. It still stands.” Clint huffed. “Come on, you can’t try one small tiny little easy mission just to test his readiness to start working for SHIELD?”

Fury sighed. “If there’s a small mission that comes up, I will call for him. But he’ll be with another agent for that mission. Surely you can understand why.”

“Come on, you don’t even let me work solo. Always have Phil in my ear or Nat covering my back. It’s normal that he’ll have someone working with him. I’m sure Nat wouldn’t mind! They get along well. Pretty sure they bonded over a mutual frustration of having to take care of the human disaster I can sometimes be. Might be a good pair up. They trust each other already and you trust her.” Clint suggested, flashing James a thumbs-up.

“You can trust me, Fury,” James urged. “Even with a work partner, I won’t mess anything up. You have to remember I’m an army veteran.”

“I know, I’m familiar with how tough military vets are after losing their memories. Look, I’m trusting you with _one_ mission for now. I don’t know when that may be, but just… be on call. Both of you, because I’m going to be needing you very soon, Barton.”

“Yup, yup. Want me still for that meeting with the good old Cap you mentioned before?”

Fury narrowed his eye, “Barton.”

“Please, I’ve already let the Captain America cat out of the ice bag. James knows. Steve and Tony don’t, but you are making Cap public soon, and James deserved to know before then.”

“Kinda sick how you kept that information from me for years, especially since Steve and Tony were my best friends,” James said a little coldly.

“We were keeping you all safe,” Fury argued. “We had to keep you a secret especially, because they thought you were dead. We have them working on this initiative, so they need to focus on that for now.”

“Were you ever going to tell them? Were you even going to tell _me_?”

“Yes, in due time. Your reintroduction to each other was eventually going to happen, you all just needed to get used to modern society again before you got to see each other again.”

“So learning to function in society was more important to see best friends again?” James sighed and stood up, pocketing his clearance ID card. “Glad to know your priorities make you sound like Hydra…”

“Ouch, might need some cream for that burn.” Clint grinned. “I have been telling you for years that it’d be better to just let these three forties boys reunite and help each other adjust. But you never listen to me.”

“We feel it would have been too much for Captain Rogers and Stark to process all at once.”

“James could have helped them adjust in ways no one else could. He’s lived through having to adjust to suddenly being in the modern today. He’d know how to ease them into it in a much smoother way than what you did.”

“We’ve had no issues—”

“Rogers beat up SHIELD agents burst through a wall, and escaped right into Times Square within minutes of waking up because your attempt at ‘easing’ him into the fact that he’s missed seventy years backfired when you had the radio ‘live’ broadcasting a game he had already witnessed.” Clint deadpanned.

“How did you know that?”

“My bestie is Nat who knows everything, and you have had me hanging out with Tony a fair amount. You don’t think we’ve chatted about things? Or that he’d know because he’s dating the guy you tried to ‘ease’ into modern life with putting him in a room of a fake past he’d remember?”

Fury sighed, “I’ll admit that wasn’t our best idea.”

“You woke him up to a baseball game he’d already been to? Don’t tell me it was the Dodgers May 1941 game. It was, wasn’t it!” James threw his hands up and turned towards the door. “You really put on a game that he had been to before.”

“It totally was that very game. Tony, Steve, Nat, and I had a real good laugh about that.” Clint hummed.

“How were we to know he’d been there?”

“Maybe try finding a recording from a game that happened after he went into the ice?” Clint shrugged, “Or you could have not done the radio at all and instead have had Tony sitting by his side ready to explain things.”

“Or you could have talked to me,” James offered. “You had me at that point, you could have just asked me.”

“Okay, we made a mistake,” Fury said. “We made a mistake and I’m sorry. We’ll try to get you three to meet up soon, okay?”

“I’d like it to be very soon,” James grumbled.

“Before the baby soon?” Clint asked, wrapping his arms around James’s shoulders to hang off him a bit. “Or after the baby?”

“Preferably before,” James said truthfully. “But if that can’t happen, as soon as possible.”

“Okay, we’ll talk about when later. Along with telling them about the baby if I’m showing too much before you’re ready.”

Fury cleared his throat, “If you two are finished here, could you take this conversation anywhere but my office?”

“Fiiine. Gotta pick up some vitamins and maybe go see if we can find Nat, anyway.” Clint smirked.

“She’s here,” Fury sighed as the couple left his office finally.

“I can’t believe they used a baseball game he’d been to to wake him up,” James said once they were on their way back to the elevator.

“Yup. Sometimes SHIELD’s intelligence is not very intelligent.” Clint laughed, linking their arms and pulling him down the corridor. Nat had an office of her own on the same floor, so it was easiest to bother her first before going back down to medical and then leaving back to their hotel room.

“SHIELD intelligence my ass… They wouldn’t be able to tell a Hydra member from a snake.”

“I trust Phil’s intelligence when he’s my handler on a mission. He’s never let me down, but anyone else I take with a grain of salt...mmm salt...wanna get fast food fries on the way back to our hotel room?”

“Sure, we can get fries from lots of places if you want.”

“Yay! And a shake. Extra large with two straws for the cheesy romance element of sharing.”

“Maybe we’ll get two shakes, just in case, James said with a smile.

“Afraid you won’t get much?” Clint asked, pausing outside Nat’s door.

“Afraid you won’t get enough,” the alpha replied.

“Sweet alpha.” Clint kissed his cheek before opening the door and marching in, “Hey Nat! Guess what!”

“Jesus christ, Clint, you’re going to give someone a heart attack one day,” the redheaded alpha exclaimed as the couple walked in. “I thought you were still in Iowa, what are you doing here?”

Clint grinned, tugging James closer to his side before pointing at his own middle, “Baby!”

“Baby?” Nat narrowed her eyes, coming around to the front of her desk that she had been sitting at. “Trying out a new pet name on your alpha?”

“Nope, _baby_.” Clint said, pointing more aggressively at his middle.

Nat stared at Clint for a few seconds before looking at James, who averted his gaze with a slight pink tint to his cheeks. She looked back at Clint with wider eyes. "Baby?" She asked again, more excitement in her voice than before.

“Baby!” Clint confirmed with a wide grin, practically bouncing in place. “You’re going to be an aunty!”

"Clint, oh my god!" Nat lunged forward and wrapped the omega in her arms. "When did this happen?!"

“Around Valentines? But we only just confirmed it recently. Came here to have the doctor check on things and update my file.” Clint grinned, hugging her.

"Valentine's Day? Oh my god Clint, only you can manage that." Nat laughed and stepped back, not wanting to keep her hands on James's omega for too long.

“Yeah, well, we just got lucky, I guess.” Clint grinned, “Want to meet up for a celebratory dinner later?”

"Absolutely, but you're not allowed any drinks, got it?"

“I’m not a _complete_ idiot, Nat, I know alcohol is bad for babies. Drugs and alcohol is like the number one no-no during pregnancies.” Clint insisted. “If we get fancy mixed drinks I’ll get one that can be ordered virgin.”

James raised an eyebrow, taking a mental note that alcohol was now considered bad during a pregnancy.

"You should be drinking water and maybe some fruit punch, also you have to lay off the amount of coffee you drink. Too much can lead to complications, so no more than two cups a day now."

“Aw, Naa, no...why are you taking away my coffee? How will I even have energy to be an active pregnant omega?!”

"I guess you'll just have to deal with less coffee for awhile." Nat smirked, then grabbed something out of her pocket and handed it to Clint. "You're lucky I have some chocolate on me. It's got caffeine in it."

“Okay, I forgive you, but still miss coffee…” Clint pouted, taking the chocolate and unwrapping it to nibble on.

"I'm not saying you have to give up coffee completely. You just have to give up the extra five or more cups a day until you have your baby."

“But that’s the standard! Aw, why didn’t anyone tell me I’d have to give up on my usual amount of coffee?”

"Because no one knew you were pregnant until recently," Nat pointed out.

“No, like...before! Like they pound into us not to drink alcohol but never mentions coffee…”

"Well, when you suspect that your best friend can get pregnant at any moment, you tend to do some research on pregnancies to help them out."

“Wait, how long have you been researching pregnancies? After we met and you found out I’m an omega, or after I met James?”

"When I noticed the new mark on your neck."

“Psh, come on Nat, we both know that you knew we were together before I shared a heat with him. Hell, you were teasing me over text the day I met him and I was in denial that it was even possible he’d be interested in me.”

Oh I knew you two were together before that mark. I started researching pregnancy after I noticed it, because I knew it would only be a matter of time before this happened.”

“That makes one of us. We thought we’d wait longer…” Clint shrugged, looking over at James with a smile. “Anything else I should know?”

“Do exactly what the doctor says, and no skipping days on vitamins. You need them more than you think you do.”

“James will be on me about that, I’m sure. Based on how he makes sure I take my pain meds when I come home injured more than he likes.”

“I’m gonna make sure you take all your meds and vitamins like you should,” James spoke up. “You can’t stop me from doing so.”

“See? My alpha totally has my back. I bet he’d even send me reminder texts if I’m away from him for a day or more.”

“I might just send you texts as well,” Nat said. “You have a habit of forgetting to take meds even if you’re reminded to.”

“Well it’s a good thing I have two amazing alphas looking out for me and the baby.”

“Just keep in mind that I might not be around as much. I’d rather not have your alpha feel threatened by my visiting.”

“Nat, you’re family, not a love interest trying to swoop in and steal me away like a dated romance novel villain. I’m sure he’s perfectly fine with you dropping by to see your cute pregnant omega brother. Right, James?”

“I am. But we’ve never gone through this before, so things could change. I’ve heard stories of the alpha being okay with family being around, and I’ve heard stories where no one but the alpha was allowed around the omega… though I think those later stories are from alphas who cared only about holding possession over the omega.” James shook his head. “I’m fine with Nat coming around. If I get moody, I’ll just go outside for a bit to cool off.”

“See? We’re fine, Nat. You know I’d never choose an alpha who’d only think of me as a possession.”

“I know. Any alpha who thought that way wouldn’t be able to handle you anyways.” Nat smirked. “So, dinner tonight, you choose the place since this is your celebration, and I’ll pay for everything. Don’t try to argue with me about it because I’m not going to give in.”

“I’ll make an attempt to not swipe the bill.” Clint said,”About all I can offer you right now.”

“I’ll accept that. Now go on, I’m sure you have some things to pick up before tonight. You might want to spend as much time with James as possible anyways, because Fury really wants you for that Avengers Initiative, and I know he’ll be contacting you soon for its first meeting.”

“Well he also knows I’m pregnant and can’t be putting my baby in danger. I’ll probably be doing easy things like intel or sitting in on meetings to advise, or if we get really exciting, I might get to play the part of a handler.”

“Well whatever your part is, I’ll be around to watch over you and scold Fury if he makes you do things that are too intense.”

“Sounds great. You’re going to be the best Auntie ever.” Clint gave her a hug and a kiss to the cheek before pulling away again, “I’ll text you the info about dinner once we choose a place.”

“Don’t take all day to decide, I need to know if I should dress to impress or not.” Nat smiled before returning to her desk.

“I can promise it won’t be a pizzeria. That’s for birthdays, not baby celebrations.” Clint called back as he and James moved to the door.

“Thank god,” Nat responded with a laugh, and then the door closed behind Clint and James once they were out of the room.

“Well, now the only people left to tell is Steve and Tony, and that’s up to you on how and when.”

James nodded and sighed. “We’ll contact them soon. I want to give myself some time to prepare to see them again.”

Clint nodded, “For now, vitamins, fries, and shakes.”

“Yes, and then cuddles? Because I want to curl up and watch a movie with you while you have your fries.”

“Of course, alpha. I’ll not say no to more cuddles...or heavy petting.” Clint winked.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Clint hummed as he turned to look at his side view in the mirror. He was around three months along and his baby bump was showing. It was still at a size that it could be hidden by baggy fitting clothes, but standing there naked after a shower showed off the curve of his belly. Smiling, he ran a hand over the bump, “Look at you growing so much, little one. Maybe Daddy and I need to start thinking of names for you, hu?” He chuckled and pulled on a pair of his softest pajama bottoms and foregoing the top so he could walk out of the bathroom ready to show off the bump to James as soon as the alpha got home from his trip to SHIELD Headquarters. Clint didn’t know if his alpha had been called in finally for a test mission, or if it was for another evaluation, but he knew that it had been a week since they last saw each other and so the baby bump would be exciting for James.

Luckily for Clint, he didn’t have to wait too much longer for James to come home. 

It was Lucky who noticed first, the old farm truck coming up the driveway, causing the dog to start barking and wagging his tail excitedly. Lucky was already outside, so he ran to greet James when the alpha got out of the truck with bags in hand.

James was tired, looked the part too, and had a scratch on his chin that was in the process of healing, but otherwise he looked relieved to finally be home again. He smiled and set his bags down to give Lucky the pets he was begging for, and in that time Alpine came bounding over, also wanting pets.

“Seems like some people missed me,” the alpha said with a chuckle, picking up Alpine and scratching her chin as he straightened up. “I’m guessing Clint is inside, huh? Should we go see him?”

Lucky yipped and ran towards the house, waiting excitedly by the door.

“Alright, let me grab my bags again, you two. I don’t have enough hands to do everything, unfortunately.” James let Alpine jump down, and he grabbed his bags once more before heading to the front door.

As soon as James opened the door, both cat and dog ran in, barely giving the human time to step inside. He was used to the two pets being more excited than him to get inside, so it didn’t bother him too much when Lucky and Alpine were inside the house before he was. Smiling, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Clint, I’m home,” he called out while taking off his light jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack that had yet to be rid of winter coats.

“Living room!” Clint called back. During the week without his alpha, he’d plucked the couch cushions from the couch and set them on the floor, along with most of the bedding in the house to create a large nest on the livingroom floor where Lucky and Alpine could join him. He’d practically lived in that nest all week, only leaving to do chores, grab showers, go to use the toilet, or to restock on his food or snack supply. He even kept his vitamins on the coffee table within reach so he’d take them right away when he got a reminder text from both James and Natasha.

James smiled and moved to the living room, pausing in the doorway when he spotted Clint on the floor in his nest. “Wow, looks like you’ve been busy, babe.”

“Made it big enough for the whole family.” Clint grinned. “Come here, I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too.” The alpha got down into the nest and gathered Clint in his arms. “It was nice to be back on a mission, but damn I missed you every day I was gone.”

“Mission, hu? Have fun with it?” Clint asked, shifting closer to James and kissing his jaw as he ran a hand down along James’ flesh arm to his wrist before slowly guiding it towards his baby bump.

“Only a little. Got scratched up on my chin, but nothing serious.” James hummed and leaned his head against Clint’s. “You’re bigger than when I left you. Makes you look cuter.”

“I know!” Clint grinned and wiggled, “Baby is showing us that they really are there! I was thinking we should start thinking of names…”

“You wanna talk names already? I’m not opposed, but we’ve got six more months roughly until they’re here.”

“We might need time to narrow the choices down. Right now we have every name in existence as a possibility! We need to narrow it down to one boy and one girl name, depending on what our little one is.”

“And who knows when you’ll get pulled away for that Avengers thing that Fury keeps talking about.” James sighed and held Clint tighter. “So, do you have any names in mind, then?”

Clint shrugged, “I kind of like Katie? I don’t know, haven't thought too much on it yet. Just scrolled through a baby names site on my phone for about five minutes so far.”

“Good thing we have time to think of the names then. I haven’t looked at all myself.”

“We’ll do it together, at least to get things started.” Clint said, rubbing his belly, “We can cuddle and I’ll read off some names, maybe?”

"Cuddles with you always sound good. Now it comes with the added bonus of picking names and a baby bump." James smiled and put both his hands on Clint's stomach.

“I think the baby bump is the best part of the cuddles right now. Our little teeny-tiny cutie.” Clint smiled.

"I think so too. The both of you make me very happy."

“Well, that’s the goal. Being a happy healthy family.” Clint chuckled as Alpine tip toed over James’ hips and across Clint’s lap before curling up next to Clint’s bump, purring steadily and giving his exposed skin a rough little kiss.

"Looks like Alpine is fond of the baby too." James reached down to pet the cat's head. "Maybe she has name suggestions."

“I bet she’d suggest Meow, and Lucky would suggest Woof.” Clint laughed, “Yeah, she’s been sleeping by my tummy for the past few days. It’s adorable. I texted you a pic, or I tried to...accidently sent it to Phil…”

"Oh, that must have been what Nat was going on about. She was laughing quite hard about something one day."

“Yeah she found out and teased me, which is how I found out. Phil never responded to me directly…”

"I'm sure he was too busy to respond. You know that guy works constantly."

“Or maybe he doesn’t know how to respond to the fact I called him a pet name since I thought I was sending it to you…”

"Oh? I never got to see the message." James smirked. "What'd you call me?"

Clint’s cheeks flushed deep red, “Snookums.”

The alpha chuckled. "I'm sure Phil was quite surprised when he got that message from you."

“Yeah, but he’s too nice to say anything. To me at least.”

"Well, then you'll have no reason to talk to him about it. Work can go in like normal."

“And call him Snookums casually?” Clint laughed.

“He might find it as a friendly gesture,” James reasoned. “You never know.”

Clint chuckled and nodded, fumbling for his phone and opening it back up to the list of baby names he’d been scrolling through when James had gotten home. 

Settling into the nest more, James put his nose against Clint’s scent gland in his neck and sighed happily. He looked through the list of names with the omega, his fingers lightly drawing circles on Clint’s stomach. After going through a certain amount of names, he shifted the two of them around, careful not to disturb Alpine too much, and positioned them so that James’ head was closer to Clint’s stomach than before. From there he was able to plant a small kiss on the slight bump that had formed while the alpha was away on his mission.

Clint paused to look down at the alpha, a flush to his cheeks and a soft smile on his lips, “You gonna sing to them down there?”

“Nah, just giving them some kisses.They deserve to have as many as you get after all.”

“Probably more.” Clint agreed, “But I can’t give them any, currently. I’m bendy, but not that bendy.”

“We don’t want you to get too bendy right now.” James kissed the bump again, then nuzzled it lightly. “I can’t wait until they’re here.”

“Mmh, where they can wiggle and be cute and get kisses from us both when they aren’t eating, pooping, and crying.”

“Do you think they’ll be a boy or a girl?”

“Yes, they’ll probably be one of those options. But if I were to guess, then I’d say maybe a girl? I am catching myself looking at girl names more often than boys names as I scroll the list…”

“No shame in that. Okay, so girl, what about secondary gender?”

“That one is even harder to think of… I think I’d need to know more about your family history on that. My family, from what I remember, was heavy on the alpha side. My brother, father, uncle, and grandmother by blood were all alphas. Don’t remember meeting any betas or omegas other than ones who married into the family. Though my mom was a beta, and I never got to meet anyone from her side of the family…”

“My family was similar. Lots of alphas and betas, a handful of omegas here and there.” James shrugged. “Though most couples in my family were alphas and omegas. Beta’s usually stuck to other betas back in my day.”

“Considering that, I think there’s a good chance our little one could end up an alpha over beta or omega. But then again, they could be like me and go against the grain.”

“You never know. Maybe you’ll get a little omega girl to cuddle at night, and to teach how to be an omega to.”

“That’d be nice. Helping to build baby’s first nest, finding all the softest blankets in their favorite colors…”

“I think you’re going to make an excellent parent, Clint,” James said softly. “You’ll be the most caring, loving, and understanding parent, I know it.”

“I hope so.” Clint grinned, “And so will you.”

“I also hope so. I’m… a bit nervous, to be honest. I mean I’ve wanted to be a parent for a while, of course, but after Hydra got to me, you know I’ve been doubting a lot of things about myself.” James sighed and wrapped his arms around Clint. “I’ll be a good parent, I know that. But my brain likes to tell me I won’t be after all I’ve done for Hydra.”

“You’ll be a great dad. Our kiddo will love you.”

The alpha smiled, giving yet another kiss to Clint’s midsection. “They will… I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to them.”

Clint smiled and blew James a kiss, “I really do love you a lot, you know.”

“I love you a lot, too. More than I have words to express.”

Clint reached out to cup James’ face, “I want to kiss you again but I also like the view of you down there cuddling my baby bump.”

“I’ve got time to do both, you know. Plenty of time to kiss you and cuddle the baby bump."

“In that case, get up here for a kiss.” Clint said, coaxing him into a long but soft kiss that was annoyingly interrupted by the sound of Clint’s phone going off.

Clint sighed out a curse, “Who is calling me when I’m clearly enjoying time with my alpha?”

James popped his head up to look at Clint's phone, which was sitting on the nearby coffee table after it was abandoned when Bucky shifted them around. "Looks like it's Fury," he said, reading the caller ID. He sighed and grabbed the phone, handing it to Clint.

Clint groaned as he answered the call and held it up to his ear, “Whyyy? James just got back home, we’re trying to cuddle!”

"I apologize for interrupting," Fury said over the phone. "But things have moved up in the schedule, we need you in New York ASAP."

“New York? For what exactly?”

"The Avengers Initiative. We need a top agent to handle this mission, and you're the agent we need."

“Okay...you remember I’m pregnant, right? I’m currently sitting in a nest with my alpha and his cat cuddling my baby bump. So I hope this mission isn’t one where you expect me to be planting explosives or getting shot at.”

"We're hoping not, but I can't guarantee anything at this point. Romanoff will be here as well to hear the mission brief. Right now we need the minds of agents, and hopefully we won't need to use your physical skills."

Clint sighed, “How soon do you  _ need  _ me there? If possible I’d like to have a little more time with James before I have to hop on a plane.”

"At the end of the week. Nat can meet you at the farm so you wouldn't have to travel alone, if that would make you more comfortable."

“That’d be great, actually. My morning sickness is a lot better than it was but it’d help the plane ride if I wasn’t alone to suffer if it’s triggered. Plus I haven't seen Nat in a while since she left on whatever top secret mission she’s been on.”

"I'll send her your way, then. Be ready to leave the moment she gets there, though, because we need to get on this quickly."

“I’ll make sure to have my bag packed.” Clint promised before hanging up with a sigh, “I have a few days before Nat will come to pick me up. Sounds like I’ll just be sitting in on meetings and voicing opinions on whatever is going on in New York.” he said, looking down at James.

James whined softly and hugged Clint. "Okay… I guess duty calls. I wonder if this is how Tony felt when he was waiting for Steve to come home from the war."

“Possibly, but at least I shouldn’t have nazis shooting at me?”

"If you do, that's hydra, so get your ass to safety."

“And put a few arrows between their eyes on my way out?”

"Absolutely. Just don't get caught, because I'd be devastated if they found and captured you. I don't wanna see you suffer like I had to."

“I promise I’ll do all I can to make sure Hydra keeps their filthy hands off me if they show up.”

James smiled a little and curled up with Clint. "Do be careful, and call me. I'll have a little more peace of mind if you do."

“Every night before bed.” Clint promised.

"Good. And call me when you feel like it too. We're gonna be apart again for a while, and I hate being away from you for so long."

“We really should set up a video calling station here. Maybe Tony can hook us up with something. He’s been developing some impressive stuff and I’m sure he’d be able to make it work even out here where we only have somewhat decent internet because of SHIELD connections.”

"Glad to hear he keeps moving up in the world. Can't wait to see him again. You wouldn't be upset if I hugged him when I see him again, would you?"

“Of course not, he’s tiny and cute and such a huggable size. I hug him all the time.”

"Well, I just wanted to make sure, since he's Steve's omega, and I didn't want you to feel jealous."

“Why would I? You’re my alpha, I have your bite on my neck and your baby in my womb, and Tony has his own alpha if he ever wants a bite or a baby. There’s no reason I should get jealous over a hug between old friends who haven't seen each other in decades.”

“I just needed to confirm that it was okay with you. Especially if I meet them again while you’re still pregnant. I know hormones can go wild sometimes.”

“I might get pouty, but I know Tony, so I don’t think I’ll have any real issues, hormones or not.”

James nodded. “Okay, good, Tony is good to hug then. You think we should bring them here? Away from distracting things and quiet?”

“Think that’d be best for you? I know I’ve invited them over before. As in a ‘I have a farm, you should come by sometime’ sort of way.”

“I think I’d be best for all three of us. We’re safe here, and I know I’d rather have a quiet place to be emotional, rather than a busy city. But maybe that’s just years of being stuck in silence talking…”

“It’ll be a nice quiet time. They can meet our fur babies. Lucky loves meeting new people and he hasn’t in a while. You guys can catch up on things, you can let Tony see your robot arm because he knows my alpha has one and he thinks it’s super cool, and all that jazz.”

James laughed. “He likes the idea of my robot arm, huh? I guess I’ll have to show him how it works.”

“Pretty sure he’ll be elbow deep in your elbow if you let him.” Clint joked, “He’s built some robots. I met one. Dum-E. Silly thing. It both helps and hinders him in his home lab.”

“He built his own robot? God, I don’t think I could be more proud of him, honestly. From all you’ve told me, he’s doing great, and it sounds like he’s happy.”

“From what I can tell. Of course, I’m not around him all the time, so there might be some issues I don’t know about. But honestly, we all have issues that we don’t let most people know about.”

“Like the fact that I was a murder machine for a long time?”

“And the fact that my dad was a drunk abusive asshole and I’m somewhat terrified that I’ll be more like him than like my mom…”

“Well, I don’t know what your mom was like, but I can tell you that you’re not a drunk abusive asshole.”

“She was soft and loving and did her best to try and protect Barney and I.” Clint sighed, “I miss her...I wish she could be around to meet her grandbaby…”

“I know… I wish the same thing with my mom. Life, unfortunately, can be cruel sometimes.”

“At least our little one will have Aunty Nat, Uncle Steve, and Uncle Tony?”

“And two loving daddies who will protect them and take care of them until they’re old enough to do that themselves.”

“We’ll still be there to take care of them even after they are old enough. We just will have taken a step back to allow them to live their life, knowing they can turn back to us when they need to.”

James sighed and hugged Clint. “Can’t wait for Fury to let you stay home for a while and we can just focus on the baby.”

“Mmm, and work more on the nursery. Go baby shopping, and maybe have a small baby shower.”

“Spend days watching movies and snacking while talking baby names and planning trips to take with the baby. So many fun things to do, and Fury will have to just sit back and wait for us.”

“If he keeps trying to pull me off to work too much, I can always hand him a doll and diaper while telling him to practice since I sure can’t and he can be on poopy duty. I think that’d work in making him back off a bit.”

“I think that’d make him back off  _ and _ give you extra days off.”

Clint chuckled, rubbing his belly, “I’ll try it if I need to.”

“Maybe you should just do it anyways. Might get you out of active duty earlier.”

“I’ll give him this mission since it seems to be the first one they need the Avengerwhathaveyou to respond to, and I’m only three months along.”

“Again, just be careful when you go. I will come save your ass if I have to.”

“Oh, that’d be hot to see.” Clint laughed and shook his head, “Don’t worry. I promise that I’ll be super careful. Won’t even get a papercut.”

“I guess you really haven’t seen me in action during a mission. I think you wouldn’t be able to think straight if you saw me.”

“I think i’d be super wet for you if you barged in to save me.” Clint grinned.

“After the initial shock of being saved wears off, sure,” James teased with a smirk.

“Nope, right away. No shock, just awe. Gimme that sexy alpha action.”

“Right away, huh? The moment you see me you’re gonna get wet?”

“Yup, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not a horney little omega for you. Though I’ll wait to jump your knot until we’re safe, of course.”

“Of course. I’m sure I couldn’t fight properly if I have you sitting on my knot so quickly.”

“Mmm, nope. Too distracting.” Clint agreed. But I’d also likely be tied up so it’d be harder to jump you.”

“Ah, but don’t you like to be tied up a bit? Maybe not by a bad guy, of course.”

“You know I do. If it involves you.”

“Then don’t get too excited being tied up by a bad guy. They don’t deserve to see that side of you.”

“Like I said, it needs to involve you.”

“And in the future, only when the baby is sleeping. IF we have the energy, that is.”

“Yeah, and with hope that they wont wake up…”

“We’ll just have to learn to be quiet, of course. So we don’t wake them from our passionate lovemaking.”

“Or we can install soundproofing into the walls of our bedroom. We’ll still have a baby monitor of course so we can hear them, but yeah. Probably good for once my heats start up again.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Little ears don’t need to hear all that.”

“We’ll add it to the list of things to do to the house. Though your list is getting quite short. We’ve finished so much work. Soon we can move outside to fix up out there.”

“Well, being forced to stay at home really helps mark off things on that list.”

“Yeah, I have no idea how far behind I’d be if you hadn’t come around.”

“Well it’s a good thing Fury dropped me off on your farm, then. Otherwise this place might be falling apart still.”

“At least I fixed the leaky roof before you came along.” Clint grinned, “No water dripping down onto you during a rainstorm.”

“Eh, it wouldn’t have bothered me much. I slept for years at a time on ice, remember? Rain splashing on me would be merely boring.”

“Doesn't mean I can’t be happy you had a soft, warm, dry place to sleep while here!”

"Of course, and I do appreciate having a warm room to sleep in when it was cold out. Now the house stays toasty and comfortable." James nuzzled Clint and kissed the mark on the omega's neck.

Clint hummed, “We turned this drafty old house into a warm home, that’s for sure.”

"I love it. And I guess we got enough of it fixed just in time for our baby."

“That we did, we’re so smart.” Clint laughed, nuzzling closer.

"So smart, we're having an accidental baby." The alpha chuckled and held Clint closer. "But they're not an unwanted accident at all."

“They’re just coming sooner than planned, that’s all. No accident, just a surprise!”

"True. No child of ours will ever be an accident."

“Never. Always wanted and loved, no matter what.”

James hummed in agreement and moved so he could kiss Clint's stomach again. "You remember that," he said to the baby. "No matter what."

“They’ll know. We’ll show them that throughout their life...they’ll also know there’ll be popcorn?”

James looked up at Clint. "You want popcorn right now?"

“I do! How’d you guess?”

"Baby told me." The alpha smirked as he got up and headed to the kitchen.

“Smart baby,” Clint cooed at his belly as he rubbed little circles onto it.

* * *

"Have everything you need before you leave?" James asked while Clint was scurrying around to pack. He was leaving for New York, after all, and James wasn't going to be around to protect him or to remind him in person to take his vitamins. James was quite nervous about Clint leaving the farm.

"Vitamins? Where'd they go? Did they already get packed?" Clint asked, moving around looking for the bottle. 

"Yes they did, one of the first things to get packed."

“Oh.” Clint blushed, scratching his head, “I don’t remember packing them… Uhh,” he looked around, trying to make sure he had everything. Clothes, toiletries, pregnancy stuff, phone… “Bow! Need my bow! I mean, I shouldn’t need to use it but it’s a security blanket more than anything, knowing I’ll be able to defend myself from a distance should something happen unexpectedly. Hmm, which one should I take?” He moved to the wall that had a few of his bow collection hanging on display.

"Should definitely take the folding one. Compact, easier for travel, and for carrying into battle should it come to that. But it shouldn't."

“Um, I think that one’s down in the basement. Had been doing some maintenance on it in our weapon’s workshop.” Clint said, grabbing a quiver of arrows that were the correct size for the smaller sized bow and slipping it into his bag. 

"You'd be correct. I worked on it a little last night for you, actually… I hope you don't mind that. You know I've watched you work on your bows, and u know what not to do."

“Mm,” Clint shrugged, “You and Nat are the only people I trust to mess with my bows, Half because I love you and half because I taught you proper bow care myself.” he smiled before gasping, “Alpine! You can’t come to New York with me! That’s no place for a cute country kitty like you!” he said, finding that at some point the cat had settled into his bag and hadn’t been bothered by things being tossed in on top of her until she shifted enough for her fluffy white tail to poke out.

James chuckled. "She didn't want to miss you, so she wants to go with you."

Clint dug the cat out of his bag and scratched behind her ears, “Okay, Alpine, I need you to stay home and make sure James remembers to gather the eggs from the coup, yeah?” He set her down on the bed, only to watch her hop right back into his bag.

"She's really determined to go with you, babe."

“She probably wants to make sure the baby gets their purr time.” Clint got her out of the bag again, handing her over to James.

"She's going to miss the baby, that's for sure," James said while petting the cat in his arms.

Clint closed the bag and hefted it up to his shoulder, “Okay, just missing my bow and enough alpha kisses to last me however long this is gonna take.”

"You can get as many kisses as you want before Nat gets here. And I can grab your bow for you too, so you can keep an eye out for Nat."

“Alright, I’ll go plop myself in the livingroom and await my delivery of bow and kisses.” Clint grinned.

"Just sit and look pretty, omega." James crooned and kissed Clint's cheek before heading downstairs to grab the blond's bow.

“Can do! I’m good at that if you ignore the bandages I usually have!” Clint moved to the livingroom and plopped down onto the couch where he had the best view out the window to the porch. The door was unlocked, of course, and Natasha would just invite herself in if he didn’t meet her there, but he was at least making an attempt at spotting her before it came to that.

James whistled while he went to grab the bow, letting Alpine down when she mewed in protest of being held for too long. She followed him into the work room though, where alpha and omega usually kept their more prized tools and weapons. James grabbed the bow and folded it up so it could be packed with the rest of Clint's stuff. He shooed the cat out of the room once he was done and closed the door behind him. The room was rather protected after all, and there was no need to have a cat locked in there.

Coming back to the living room, James settled next to Clint on the couch and kissed his cheek. "Here's your bow."

“Thank you, Hottie.” Clint slipped the bow into his bag before turning his attention to James, “Now, about those kisses…” he pulled him down onto the couch so that he could get his mouth on his alpha’s.

James smiled as he kissed Clint, reconnecting their lips multiple times until they had to pull back to catch their breath. He nuzzled the blond and crooned softly. “I’m gonna miss you while you’re gone.”

“You know I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t literally my job and we kinda need the paychecks.” Clint hummed, nuzzling his nose behind James’ ear.

“I know. You kinda need to keep your job, pregnant or not. Plus that money helps us to continue renovating the house.”

“Yup. selling eggs at the local farmer’s market only gets us so far. But you have a SHIELD check headed your way as well, so soon maybe that’ll grow to be as reliable as mine is.”

“Mine probably won’t be as large as yours. Pretty sure Fury still doesn’t fully trust me, even though he did finally give me clearance.”

“Mission pay always depends on the job’s duration plus danger level. So it depends on all that to see what’s added to the base pay of being employed at SHIELD. Depending on what he had you doing on your mission you could have made more than I will this mission in New York seeing as I’m basically sitting in on a few meetings or whatever based on what little information I was able to dig up.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to be doing more than just sitting in on meetings, unfortunately.” James sighed. “But I can’t worry about that now, I guess. Fury wouldn't let you stay just because you’re pregnant.”

“Okay he may have me on like, watch duty for the mission, whatever it is but he wouldn’t put me directly into any fighting. Apparently there’s company rules regarding pregnant agents which I had to read up on so I can call out bullshit if anyone makes me do something dangerous for the baby.”

“Well, at least you read up on them. Good to know for the future. But I swear if he makes you do anything dangerous, I’m gonna hurt him.”

“I may not be able to tell you details but I’ll update you on what I’m expected to do. Like the general ‘I’m sitting in a meeting room throwing darts at the ceiling while the talky people do the talking’.”

"Updates would be nice along with the calls."

“You’ll be hearing from me more than past missions, for sure.” Clint pressed another kiss to James’ lips.

"Glad to hear," the alpha responded, occupying Clint with several more kisses. So much more, in fact, that neither of them realized when a vehicle came up the driveway and parked just outside the front door of the farmhouse.

The door opened suddenly, startling James, and in walked Nat. "Sorry, didn't know I was going to interrupt a makeout session."

“Don’t lie, you knew exactly what you’d likely walk into!” Clint grinned, unashamed of being caught, “You’re just glad we’re both clothed this time.”

"Looks like if I had been any later, there wouldn't have been any clothes." The redhead smirked and moved closer to Clint. "Got everything packed?"

“I think so.” he nodded at his bag, “Plus something extra if Alpine managed to hide in my bag again. Found her in there twice already.”

“That cat will never learn to stay home,” James said. “She just misses Clint so much already.”

"Or the baby. She loves cuddling my bump." Clint shrugged, standing up and grabbing his bag.

"That's super cute," Nat said with a smile. "Well, get your last kisses in with your alpha and let's get going. We've got a plane to catch."

"Sure." Clint purred, "Come here, James." Grabbing James’ shirt collar, he pulled him up off the couch and into a kiss. 

James smiled and held Clint close while they kissed. When they pulled apart, he sighed. "Please be careful. Let me know when you get to New York. Don't forget to call and take your vitamins."

I promise I’ll be good and remember most of those things. I’m sure you and Nat will both remind me of the one I’ll likely forget.”

"If you don't call me, I'm calling you." James kissed Clint's forehead. "I'll try not to be so mushy when we talk."

“I like the mushy.” Clint murmured before pecking him again on the cheek, “And we both know it’s the vitamins I’ll probably forget.”

"Which is why I'm going to text you every day so you remember to take them." The alpha smiled and hugged his omega. "Have a good flight, and don't let Fury think you can go out on a mission."

“What if the mission is going to pick up takeout?” Clint teased.

“It better be damn good takeout then.” James smiled and stepped back. “He’s all yours, Nat.”

“I’ll keep a good eye on him,” the redhead promised.

“Protective alphas.” Clint teased with a roll of his eyes. He double checked that the cat had not, infact, gotten back in his bag before he zipped it up and nodded at Nat, “Okay, off to New York I guess.”

“I’ll buy you some pizza when we get there,” Nat said as she and Clint walked out the door.

“Love you too, Nat.” Clint grinned. He popped onto his toes to kiss James once more before nodding and finally stepping towards the door. “Okay, I’m off like a good responsible adult. No more distractions.”

Nat and Clint got into the redheaded alpha’s car and went down the driveway, leaving James to watch them on the front porch of the house. Lucky and Alpine joined him while he watched, giving him some sort of feeling of not being alone as his omega left him once more to go to work. Sighing, he headed back inside when the car was no longer within his range of vision.

* * *

Clint sighed, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he stood by Fury. “You sure I should be here with all this glowy science stuff?” he asked, watching as Selvig’s team of scientists fiddled around with the setup and computers.

He didn’t know  _ exactly  _ what they were doing, though he had known enough to put forth his own opinions when asked. He hadn’t paid close attention to the meeting when it turned towards science. He didn’t need to know it in order to do his part, after all. They doubted that they needed it, but they told him to stand in as extra security and eyes on the situation. He agreed because he literally just needed to stand around while the scientists did their thing. There was no expected fighting, but he was beginning to have doubts about other types of danger as he watched the blue glow of the experiment.

“We have run tests to make sure it’s safe to be around without hazard suits.” Fury informed him, “There’s nothing that we have detected that could pose as an unseen threat to your pregnancy. However, if you’re still worried, you may step back further.”

Clint shook his head, “Just had to ask to make sure. You know James would get on your back if he found out there wasn’t a confirmation that I was in a safe environment.”

Fury gave a small nod of understanding, drawing his attention back to the experiment. The scientist team had started the process and the machine was starting to move and make sounds as it glowed. A high-pitched humming started up and vibrated his hearing aids unpleasantly that made him turn the volume down so they wouldn’t screech feedback into his already damaged eardrums.

Then a beam of light—energy?—burst forward out of the machine and started to form a disk of glowing blue and distorted black that looked like a portal right out of a scifi movie with heavy CGI. It made him tempted to crack a Stargate joke, but with his aids turned so low, he didn’t know if anyone would have heard him over the sound being produced by the experiment.

Eh, why not try? Even if Fury’s the only one to hear it, it’d be worth it.

He opened his mouth to crack the joke when the room suddenly felt full of pressure about to burst—and a second later that’s exactly what happened as the stargate thing suddenly exploded, sending glowing blue energy out in all directions.

Clint tried to duck and move, though there was no escaping the blast as it flew past him and then drifted upwards, reforming the stargate shape up against the ceiling.

Clint straightened back up and looked around as he slowly turned his aids back up to their normal level. The room was silent of the machine’s sound, though the machine seemed to be overloaded and damaged as it glowed blue in it’s spot. But there was also a figure standing where the first stargate had been before it exploded, and other members of the SHIELD basic security had their weapons drawn and were slowly closing in on the man.

The moment felt tense as the man looked up, making eye contact with those around the room.

Even if he was a foe, how dangerous could one man with a strange glowing stick be? And SHIELD security seemed to have things handled, so Clint didn’t make a move.

“Sir,” Fury finally spoke up in an authoritative tone, “please put down the spear!”

The man lifted the glowing stick and looked at it as if confused before suddenly shifting and thrusting it forward, sending a bolt of glowing blue energy at Fury and Clint. Clint leapt out of the way, hearing gunfire as he tucked and rolled back to his feet away from where the blast had landed. 

SHIELD security were falling one by one, and Clint grabbed the gun from his thigh holster, kneeling and taking aim as the man shot out more blue blasts. One which landed too close to Clint, sending him flying.

He grunted, moving to get back onto his feet, movement caught his eye and he twisted to deliver a blow, only to have his arm caught and held in an uncomfortable position that didn’t give him much room to move and regain the upper hand, at least quickly. He panted, looking up into the man’s face.

“You have heart.” the man said before bringing his glowy stick forward and poking the center of his chest. The stick’s glow brightened and for a second Clint thought he was about to receive one of those energy blasts at point blank range. But instead there was a creeping feeling like ice running through his veins spreading from the place on his chest upwards. His vision filled with that blue light before fading away again and suddenly his will wasn’t his own. 

This was wrong, this wasn’t supposed to happen. He couldn’t even fight against what was happening. He couldn’t even struggle against it or cry out for help. Distantly he thought of James who would be waiting for him to call in about an hour. Clint didn’t think he’d be able to make that call…

His body relaxed his stance and re-holstered his gun, simply looking at the man, waiting for direction as his thoughts faded away. The man grinned at him before he hurried away to do the same to others who were still moving, and Clint couldn’t do anything about it as his mind clouded over, leaving all sense of self behind and leaving only the man’s—Loki’s—voice in his foggy mind.

* * *

Days had gone by, and there had still been no call or answer from Clint. Not a single trace of the omega, and James was getting far too uncomfortable with the situation. He tried contacting Nat, but she didn’t have any helpful information, which distressed James greatly. All she had told him was that Clint had gone with Fury on a mission and had reassured her that Clint would only be standing to the side, being an extra set of eyes. 

That had been days ago, and nothing new had come up. Fury wasn’t sharing any details, and even Nat had gone dark on James. Nothing about the entire situation made the alpha feel good, and that was why he was loading up the farm truck with things that would provide James with the basic needs while he was away. Clothes, toiletries, a plane ticket to New York, all things that Clint had been packing up just before he had left, and now James was packing the same things with a bad feeling in his stomach.

Sighing, James moved quickly back into the house, leaving a note for the neighbor whom he had called to let know that he was going to be away for a while. The animals needed tending to anyways, and with it starting to finally get warmer, they were going to need more water to stay hydrated during the warmer days. As much as James was going to miss doing those daily chores, finding his omega and ensuring his safety was far more important to the alpha than staying at home and running a farm.

Alpine was inside already, preferring to stay indoors most days to spend time with James. She jumped up onto the counter that James left his note on, and that was when he suddenly got a worse feeling than Clint being missing from his mission.

His skin crawled as he heard footsteps from outside, seeing as he had left the front door open. A stupid decision that was going to cost him.

He  _ knew  _ the sound of those boots, knew what they sounded like on all sorts of surfaces, including grass that was freshly renewed by the warmer weather. He knew something was up when Lucky started barking, and not in the friendly way that he usually barked when he was playing. No, this bark was aggressive, protective, telling the intruders to stay the fuck away. Despite his efforts though, the intruders didn’t stop, didn’t run away at the first sounds of the dog’s barking.

James barely had time to turn around and look at who was intruding on the property. In the back of his mind he knew who it was, but he wasn’t willing to admit it was them. He wasn’t ready to face them again.

A knife flew past his face the moment he turned around, causing him to duck while something shattered as the knife collided with it. He had to act fast if he was going to escape being captured, because he had been practicing his skills in secret over the years he had been living with Clint. He kept his mind sharp, his skills fresh in anticipation for a moment such as this that he wished he would never have to face. 

“Secure the asset,” someone shouted as several people dressed in black rushed towards James.

The alpha reacted quickly, leaping over the heads of those rushing towards him and running outside where he’d have much more space to fight if the need arose. However, he didn’t get quite to the door before he was tripped by one of the people who rushed at him. He landed heavily with a grunt and was barely able to roll to the side when a heavy boot stomped down on the floor where his shoulder had been second before. 

Jumping back to his feet, James dodged a punch and landed one on an intruder’s gut, taking them down for the count. Again he ran towards the door, making outside this time, where he was greeted with a near army's worth of Hydra agents, all having come to nab him and take him away from his home. Growling, he assessed the situation, calculated his odds of winning, and though they were slim, he used to be one of them, so he knew every trick in the book. The only question in his mind was how did they find him?

"What is this?" He asked in a dangerous tone, seeing one man move forward, someone who looked to be the leader of this pack of agents.

“Haven’t figured that out yet?” the man asked. “Seems like you’ve slowed in your time away from us.”

“I’m  _ not  _ coming back to you,” James snarled, grabbing the pocket knife he had stashed away in his pocket just before the Hydra agents had arrived.

No response was given to the alpha, because a handful of the agents charged towards him and made him fight once more. This wasn’t on the list of things that James expected to deal with when leaving his home that day, but if he had to fight to get to Clint, then so be it. He was going to fight as long as it took, as long as he got to know that his omega was safe. 

James ducked to avoid a punch, then hopped right back up to dig his knife into the chest of the agent who threw the punch. The knife would have to stay there, because James was then tackled to the ground, and yeah maybe he was a little out of practice…

He hadn’t had the need to be worried about Hydra for years, after all.

The alpha thrashed about until he was able to roll the agent off of him, jumping to his feet and kicking the agent in the stomach as hard as he could. He didn’t have any weapon other than his arm now, and even with just that and his years of tactical combat skill training, he was still being overwhelmed by the amount of agents attacking him all at once. It didn’t take long for him to be worn out, unable to keep any agents off of him so he could take a breather. Maybe he should have trained  _ more  _ on his own. Maybe he should have asked Natasha to spar with him when she was around for a visit so it wasn’t just Clint he was testing himself against, but no one at SHIELD saw this coming, James didn’t even see it coming, and here it was slapping him in the face and beating him to the ground.

Letting out a frustrated yell, James threw off the agents that were clinging to him and trying to drag him down to the ground to cuff him. He was tired, but he refused to lose.

“Is this about Clint?” He asked the leader of the group, his alpha tone coming out through his words. Something about the attack seemed too convenient, and it brought up that question to the front of his mind. 

_ “Longing,” _ the leader spoke instead, the word spoken in Russian.

James felt his blood run cold.

_ “Rusted. Furnace. Daybreak.” _

“No… Stop!” The alpha shook where he stood, his hands balling into fists. He couldn’t move.

_ “Seventeen. Benign.” _ The leader stepped closer with every word he spoke, knowing the power he had over James just by saying those words. 

James screamed with his alpha tone, falling to his knees as his whole body shook harder.

_ “Nine. Homecoming. One.” _

The alpha looked up at the leader of Hydra agents, true fear in his steel blue eyes. “Please…” the plea was weak, and he wasn’t sure it could even be understood. Not that the man with his words cared.

_ “Freight car.” _

One last thought of Clint flashed through his mind before it was wiped clean and replaced with the memories of a killing machine, every mission completed since 1945 filling up his mind as he gripped the grass beneath his hands tightly. 

Slowly, he got up, eyes staring straight ahead.

_ “Asset?” _ the leader asked.

_ “Ready to comply,” _ the Winter Soldier said coldly.

* * *

-END-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


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